Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center
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Research at the Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center focuses on providing the scientific understanding and technologies needed to support and implement sound management and conservation of our Nation's biological resources occurring in Hawai'i and other Pacific island locations.
Spotlight on Research
Learn more about how researchers are tracking how rare plants are responding to changing environmental conditions.
Plant ResponsesFeatured Scientist
PIERC Microbiologist Dr. Carter Atkinson is using new tools to detect emerging threats and rare species in Pacific Island ecosystems.
Atkinson ResearchNews
News Briefs - April-June 2021
News Briefs - featuring coastal and ocean science from across the USGS
Coastal Change Happens! USGS Has Data and Tools to Help Coastal Communities Prepare
USGS Introduces a National Approach to Coastal Change Hazards (CCH) Science
New Study Finds the Restoration of Forests with Active Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death Infections May Be Possible
Hilo, Hawaiʻi – For the first time, researchers have shown that native ʻōhiʻa seedlings can survive for at least a year in areas that have active mortality from Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death, or ROD, a fungal disease that is devastating to this dominant and culturally important tree in Hawaiian forests. This information can be useful to land managers and homeowners as they prioritize conservation actions.
Publications
Transcriptome assembly and differential gene expression of the invasive avian malaria parasite Plasmodium relictum in Hawaiʻi
The malaria parasite Plasmodium relictum (lineage GRW4) was introduced less than a century ago to the native avifauna of Hawaiʻi, where it has since caused major declines of endemic bird populations. One of the native bird species that is frequently infected with GRW4 is the Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi (Chlorodrepanis virens). To achieve a better...
Videvall, Elin; Paxton, Kristina L.; Campana, Michael G.; Cassin-Sackett, Loren; Atkinson, Carter T.; Fleischer, Robert C. Efficacy of detection canines for avian botulism surveillance and mitigation
Hawai'i's endangered waterbirds have experienced epizootics caused by ingestion of prey that accumulated a botulinum neurotoxin produced by the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium botulinum (avian botulism; Type C). Waterbird carcasses, necrophagous flies, and their larvae initiate and spread avian botulism, a food-borne paralytic disease...
Reynolds, Michelle H; Johnson, Kyoko N; Schvaneveldt, Eleni; Dewy, Dan L; Uyehara, Kim J; Hess, Steven C. Population density, distribution, and trends of landbirds in the National Park of American Samoa, Ta‘ū and Tutuila Units (2011–2018)
The National Park of American Samoa (NPSA) was surveyed for landbirds from June through July, 2018. Surveys were conducted using point-transect distance sampling methods to estimate bird densities. This information provides the second datum in the time-series of landbird monitoring for long-term trends in landbird distribution, density, and...
Judge, Seth; Camp, Richard J.; Vaivai, Visa; Hart, Patrick J.